FC Dallas hosts Memphis 901 of the USL Championship in the 2024 US Open Cup in the Round of 32 tonight at Toyota Stadium at 7:30 pm.
FC Dallas is in 13th place in the Western Conference of MLS with a 2-6-2 record for 8 points. Memphis 901 is in 8th place in the Western Conference of the USL Championship with a 3-5-0 record and 9 points.
FC Dallas enters the tournament in this round, Memphis 901 knocked off Miami United FC 2-0 in the 3rd Round for the right to face Dallas.
This will be a homecoming for FC Dallas Academy products Nighte Pickering and Emerson Hyndman.
Pickering was in the Academy from 2017 to 2022 and during Luchi Gonzalez’s FCD tenure was a common first-team training invite before he signed with Memphis. He recently had a US YNT camp.
Hyndman is the grandson of former FC Dallas and SMU coach Schellas Hyndman. The younger Hyndman first started popping up in FCD first-team training at 12. He played for the Academy from 2010 to 2011 before joining Fulham. He played for Fulham, Bournemouth, Rangers, Hibernian, and Atlanta United before signing with Memphis 901.
The US Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is the oldest professional soccer tournament in the United States. first held in 1913-14, The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup serves as the National Championship of US Soccer. It’s a single-elimination tournament with an open format for all levels of the American game.
FC Dallas won the USOC in 1997 and 2016.
I am fairly confident that Dallas is the only club to win the tournament entirely on the road when they won four straight road games to bring home the 1997 Trophy.
Broadcast Info
TV: USOpenCup.com and Youtube with Josh Eastern and Ricky Lopez-Espin on commentary.
Radio English: 1190AM. Host Sam Hale with postgame at 7 pm. Ryan Figert and Steve Davis on the game.
Radio Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon on the FC Dallas app starting at 7:30 PM.
MLS Injury/Player Availability Report
FC Dallas
This is the injury list from the Toronto game with one addition.
OUT: Sebastian Lletget – hamstring
OUT: Geovane Jesus – right knee
OUT: Paxton Pomykal – knee
OUT: Alan Velasco – knee
OUT: Amet Korca – groin
OUT?: Tsiki Ntsabeleng – Not officially out, but he subbed out for injury vs Toronto.
Memphis 901
OUT: Neco Brett – Shoulder
FCD Lineup Prediction – All In
Let’s be real, the Open Cup is FCD’s best chance to win something this year. It’s just 5 wins to the title.
You can also make the case that Coach Nico Estevez “rested” his team in Toronto by not starting Jesus Ferreira and Asier Illarramendi who are both in the “build minutes” part of their return from injury.
So here’s a possible “All In” XI with the “best” team Coach Nico thinks he can field.
Bench Prediction
Jimmy Maurer
Nolan Norris
Logan Farrington
Eugene Ansah
Patrickson
Omar Gonzalez
Ema Twumasi
Carl Sainte
Dante Sealy
FCD Lineup Prediction – Rotation and Rest
Ok, let’s say FCD does what they have for about a decade now and rotates in reserves to play USL teams in the Cup. Memphis is a USL-C side and FCD is banged up. So let’s take a shot with a mix XI.
How might that look?
One thing Coach Nico did last year in the Cup game was start Jimmy Maurer. All right, Maurer it is.
Carl Sainte did not start for North Texas SC this weekend as he was in Toronto with FCD on the bench, so he rotates in. Nkosi Tafari and Sebas Ibeagha are both very fit and Omar Gonzalez doesn’t “need” a start so I will stick with the former two but it could easily be Omar for rotation.
I also want Logan Farrington, Herbert Endeley, Bernard Kamungo, and Dante Sealy to start for “development.”
I’m calling up Diego Garcia and Tarik Scott for a possible late-game runout. But I also have Jesus Ferreira and Asier Illarramendi on the bench just in case. With Illarramendi and Ferreira coming off the bench in Toronto I’m not risking either in a start here.
Nolan Norris played 90 for NTX but Patrickson only played half the game up North, so I’m going with Patrickson and Liam Fraser – since Ntsabeleng is probably out – and the idea is I will sub Fraser off at halftime for Norris or Garcia.
So maybe something like this?
Looks like a USL Championship team.
“Rotation” Bench Prediction
Maarten Paes
Diego Garcia
Tarik Scott
Jesus Ferreira
Asier Illarramendi
Omar Gonzalez
Paul Arriola
Nolan Norris
Sam Junqua
Kit Assignments
All signs are that FC Dallas will be in their “primary” blue/red afterburner kit. Here’s a pic, in case you don’t recall what they look like. It’s been a while.
Memphis 901 will thus be in their solid white alternatives.
Up Next
The FCD/Memphis Winner faces the winner of Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Birmingham Legion FC. Both are USL-C teams like Memphis.
Both teams have former FC Dallas Academy players in their roster as well. Matthew Corcoran plays for the Legion and Aaron Guillen plays for the Rowdies.